BIODIVERSITY: 2010 and beyond NEW ZEALAND ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY CONFERENCE 22–25 November 2010 University of Otago, Dunedin Programme and Abstracts http://www.nzes.org.nz/ Miss E. L. Hellaby Indigenous Grasslands Research Trust Welcome and conference overview Welcome to ‗Biodiversity: 2010 and beyond‘, the 2010 annual conference of the New Zealand Ecological Society. The theme of this year‘s conference recognises and celebrates 2010 as the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. To acknowledge this, we present ten symposia examining a range of topics related to biodiversity. There are nine plenary speakers, from Canada, the United Kingdom, the USA, and New Zealand, and more than 90 contributed oral and poster presentations. The subjects covered are diverse and we are sure you will find many to interest you. We extend a particular welcome to the students presenting many papers throughout the conference, and to our overseas guests. In addition to discussing organisms and ecosystems, several symposia explicitly consider biodiversity in relation to human populations – cultural perspectives, production lands, and urban environments. Others examine aspects of managing and protecting biodiversity – assessment, prioritisation and reporting, and reintroduction and pest management. Two special forums are offered: a workshop as part of the ‗Cultural perspectives‘ symposium, and a discussion panel as part of the ‗Production lands‘ symposium. These meetings are described later in this Programme. A successful conference depends on voluntary efforts by a great many people. We particularly thank the organising team, symposium convenors, and field trip organisers. Many people have helped in other ways, most notably the student volunteers who will assist to make things run smoothly. We are especially grateful to Gretchen Brownstein, who with unlimited cheer and energy has managed most of the details, including registration, entertainment, and venues. This conference has been supported generously by many organisations (see inside front cover). We express heartfelt thanks to our principal sponsors, Landcare Research and the Department of Conservation, and to the organisations that have supported symposia, visiting speakers, the panel discussion, and other components of the conference (see following section on symposia and plenary speakers). Without these funds this conference would not have been possible. Indeed, this conference has surpassed recent NZ Ecological Society conferences in numbers of registrations, talks, and posters. Perhaps the biodiversity of the Otago region near Dunedin has helped to draw people to this conference. Our three field trips, to Macraes Flat, the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, and the Otago Peninsula, have been very popular; we hope to hear that they were successful and educational and that the participants enjoyed good weather! We wish you an enjoyable three days and hope you return home with new ideas and new perspectives. Deb Wilson and Bill Lee Conference co-convenors i Organisers of Biodiversity: 2010 and beyond Many people have contributed to planning and running this conference. We especially thank Gretchen Brownstein, who managed the logistics of both the main conference and the Student Day, and Logan Elliott, who ran our logo competition and arranged many details early in the process. We are grateful to Elly Lang (administration, accounts, and word processing); Britt Cranston, Konnie Gebauer and Annika Korsten (Student Day); Christine Bezar (editing), Cissy Pan (graphics) and Susan Sheppard (Ecological Society administration); Peter Johnson, Sue Maturin and Pascale Michel (judges of logo competition); Kelvin Lloyd, Phil Seddon, Dan Tompkins, Yolanda van Heezik, Susan Walker (scientific committee); Sam Clark (website design and hosting); and Kath Dickinson, Murray Efford, Ian Jamieson, Graeme Loh, Catriona MacLeod, Sir Alan Mark, Bruce McKinlay, Geoff Rogers, and Mike Thorsen, for support and assistance at various times. Ribbonwood Nurseries and the Department of Botany (University of Otago) kindly loaned plants for decoration. Very many thanks go to the team of student volunteers, led by Gretchen Brownstein. These people, wearing red conference T-shirts, can help if you have any questions during the conference. Conference logo and biodiversity painting The conference logo was designed by Esther Riley of Christchurch, who describes its ‗…loose circle of organisms, representing the globe, life-cycles and changes over time. The slight interlocking of the forms implies the interrelationships within an ecosystem.‘ The painting on our cover is by Lynette Hartley, also of Christchurch. She writes: ‗Biodiversity is a huge, almost infinite, topic covering pretty well anything and encompassing a wide range of meanings and timescales, but the date 2010 is a very finite thing. …the conference will cover a small fraction of the various aspects of New Zealand biodiversity, but the biodiversity itself will carry on…well beyond 2010. I therefore drew plants and animals bursting out of the container in which we (the conference goers or scientists) have been examining them. The logo and painting were the successful entries to a competition held to find a logo to fit the conference theme. ii Symposia and plenary presentations Keynote presentation: As far as the eye could see... Professor Kevin Gaston Professor Gaston (University of Sheffield ) is a leader in the fields of biodiversity and conservation. His research focuses on biodiversity and macroecology; its central unifying theme is the study of variation in the geographic distributions of species. Particular emphasis is given to geographic (or macro) scale patterns and dynamics, and their consequences for conservation. Sponsor: Ecology Research Group, University of Otago (Director: Colin Townsend) Animal reintroductions and the problem of post-release dispersal Reintroductions have become one of the standard tools for threatened species recovery. Although the methods used to catch, transport and release animals with minimal stress and mortality have improved over the years, our understanding of the factors influencing dispersal from a release area, and how this can jeopardize reintroduction project success, is still poor. This symposium will review the ways in which post-release dispersal can affect the reintroduction project outcomes. Speakers will present empirical studies based on a range of species – from seabirds to small forest passerines - where dispersal is a critical issue. Convenors: Ian Jamieson and Phil Seddon (University of Otago) Biodiversity and ecosystem function The effect of biodiversity on the functioning of ecosystems has been the focus of much ecological research over the last decade. Ecosystem function has been viewed as the flux of energy and matter within ecosystems and inter-specific interactions are primarily responsible for that flux. To date there has been a preoccupation with the experimental manipulation of biodiversity, primarily within autotrophic communities, to determine how ecosystems function. However, such manipulations are not done in the context of an evolutionary stable re-arrangement of the interacting species and, although considerably more demanding, the study of real communities may be more enlightening. Convenor: Nod Kay (Scion) Biodiversity and production lands: the benefits and the risks This symposium aims to highlight current research investigating the benefits and risks that land management practices pose to biodiversity within and beyond New Zealand's production land boundaries. The symposium will cover a wide range of production environments, including agriculture, cropping, and plantation forest ecosystems. Two plenary speakers will discuss the benefits and challenges that interdisciplinary research presents for sustainable land management in production landscapes. Professor Dave Raffaelli (University of York) will discuss the application of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Ecosystem Approach for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in the UK's production landscape. Jon Manhire (The Agribusiness Group, Christchurch) will examine the environmental effects, and social and economic consequences, of different farming practices in New Zealand, in the context of community stakeholder and market demands. To facilitate a lively discussion about the current and future biodiversity management challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand's production industries, a panel discussion will be held at the end of the symposium. Representatives from industry and local and regional government organisations will be actively encouraged to attend this meeting and participate in this discussion, which will be chaired by Grant Blackwell (Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment). Convenors: Steve Pawson (Scion) and Catriona MacLeod (Landcare Research and ARGOS) Sponsors: ARGOS will offer a prize for the Best Student Paper in the Production Lands symposium. AGMARDT is a major sponsor of this symposium, supported by contributions from ARGOS, Scion and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. iii Cultural perspectives on biodiversity research and management This 1.5-day symposium aims to highlight opportunities and challenges for cross-cultural environmental research and management in New Zealand and throughout the world. Although many participants will examine approaches of different cultures defined along ethnic lines, the symposium also invites contributions concerning the enablers and